Energy Transformations
6.9C
Key Concepts
· Energy is the ability to do work or cause change.
· Energy can never be created or destroyed.
· Energy can be transformed, or changed, from one form to another.
· Energy transformation is the process of changing energy from one form to another.
· During energy transformations, potential energy is often transformed to kinetic energy and back again to potential energy.
· During energy transformations, energy is conserved so the total amount of energy does not change.
· Chemical energy is energy stored in the bonds that hold atoms in molecules together.
· Chemical energy can be found in substances such as fossil fuels, batteries, and food.
· The burning of a chemical energy source transforms the energy into heat (thermal) energy and/or light energy.
· Batteries transform chemical energy into electrical energy.
· Thermal energy is heat energy.
· Electricity is different from the other energy sources because it is a secondary source of energy.
· Electrical energy must be produced by other energy sources.
· Electrical energy can be transformed into heat, light, mechanical, or sound energy.
· Examples of energy transformation - Windmills harness the energy of the wind and convert it into mechanical energy in the movement of the turbine blades, which is then converted to electrical energy. Solar panels transform light or solar energy to electricity
· Almost all of the energy on Earth originates with the radiant energy of the Sun.